Grumman S-2 Tracker
Grumman · United States · first flew 1952 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Grumman S-2 Tracker was a twin-engine, carrier-based anti-submarine aircraft combining a search radar operator, sonobuoys and weapons in one airframe.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | bulbous glazed nose and underfuselage weapons bay |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- high wing with twin radial engines
- bulbous glazed nose and underfuselage weapons bay
- folding outer wings for carrier stowage
The high wing, twin radial engines, bulbous nose and folding wingtips for carrier stowage mark it apart from land-based patrol aircraft.
Specifications
- The Grumman S-2 Tracker has a length of 13.26 m (44 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 22.13 m (73 ft).
- Typical crew: 4.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in 1952, the Tracker was the first purpose-built aircraft to combine submarine hunting and killing in a single type, replacing earlier separate hunter and killer aircraft on US Navy carriers.
Variants
Built in S-2A through S-2G models with progressively improved sensors; it was also licence-built abroad and later converted into the firefighting Turbo Tracker.
Where you'll see it
It served with the US Navy and many allied navies into the 1970s-80s, and surplus airframes still fly today as aerial firefighting tankers.
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